Douglass guard Kaylen Vines, who scored a team-high 16 issues, seems to inbound the ball within the 1/3 quarter of the Maryland 1A semifinals recreation in opposition to Lake Clifton at Xfinity Middle in School Park. (David J. Kim/For The Washington Publish)

It took a decade and just about 200 video games for Frederick Douglass Trainer Tyrone Massenburg to go back to the Maryland boys’ state semifinals. Since 2009, the remaining time he introduced a workforce to School Park when he was once a first-year trainer, greater than 100 avid gamers got here and went below his tutelage.

The lesson realized Friday afternoon at Xfinity Middle was once a painful one, because the Eagles dropped a mystery to Lake Clifton, 58-56, within the Maryland 1A semifinals.

The Eagles took their first lead for the reason that first quarter when senior guard Kaylen Vines hit a unfastened throw with not up to a minute final for a 56-55 margin. Lake Clifton (23-Four) replied with 3 unfastened throws, putting in one remaining commute for Douglass with 18.Nine seconds final.

Massenburg drew up a play for Vines to penetrate and search for 6-foot-Nine sophomore heart Abdul Samb. The play broke down, resulting in a scramble for a free ball that finally discovered sophomore Mike Woods in the back of the three-point line. His shot beat the buzzer however was once off the mark.

“He’s a child that may make that shot,” Massenburg stated. “That wasn’t a shot that no person sought after him to take. He was once within the recreation for a explanation why. He’s taking that shot once more, who is aware of?”

The Lakers will play the winner of Southern-Garrett and East Crisfield matchup on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Samb was once a drive within the defensive paint, swatting pictures away and forcing the Lakers to regulate their offense. Nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient to forestall Armon Harried and Michael Grey, who blended to attain 29 of the workforce’s 31 first-half issues. They completed with 27 and 21 issues respectively.

“Give them credit score, they’re nice avid gamers,” Massenburg stated. “I assumed that we made them paintings for each basket that they scored. I will be able to’t be mad at my workforce about that.”

Despite the fact that it have been 10 years since Douglass complicated to the state semifinals, the Eagles (22-Five) have a nucleus that might earn them a commute again subsequent season. Despite the fact that Vines had a team-high 16 issues, a lot of the roster is full of sophomores and juniors.

Massenburg stated that this system is “entering into the suitable course” and “in a just right position presently.” For now, Massenburg will have to wait some other 12 months to look if his squad can advance to the finals.